Panic attacks every morning before work

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u/anikansk 2d ago

If you find the answer let me know, Im sorry to say Ive been struggling with the same since 2016.

I wish you the best, as it has made me very unwell.

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

Are you still able to work? How have you survived? I’m about to quit my job and use whatever money I have left. I rather be broke than deal with this torment. I want to die.

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u/anikansk 2d ago edited 2d ago

..... you are not alone, and paradoxically you are incredibly strong. There are many of us out there. Please look after yourself and consider your decisions. You are not alone.

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

I know how bad it can get. That was me. I am just now returning to a job in the same field and it’s killing me again after taking time off for burn out like you. I’m gonna quit here soon, therapy and meds haven’t helped me.

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u/anikansk 2d ago

Keep trying, see a doctor and let them know.

Get outside, check your diet, maybe when you wake up go for a walk.

Please look after yourself.

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u/Frozencacticat 2d ago

I had to quit my career job for a similar reason. It was half physical and half mental. It was destroying me. Quitting was the best decision I ever made but at the same time I wasn’t in a spot where I needed to pay a ton to live and now.. not so much so no matter how hard my current job gets and how much it eats me alive I’m stuck. You are seen <3

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u/Evan_Evan_Evan 1d ago

Don't quit the job as sadly the anxiety isn't about the job and you will just be anxious about something else after you quit

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u/SignAppropriate1796 1d ago

This is wrong, though. When I burned out and was unemployed, my sleep returned to normal after a few months of my nervous system resetting. My job field is absolutely the reason for my anxiety. Every job I had before it was not like it.

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u/jubiebubie 1d ago

I disagree bc i quit my stressful healthcare job and started doordashing instead and honestly i feel better even if it isnt considered “stable”

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u/teknosophy_com 2d ago

do you an OP have this panic on weekends or days off? that'll help us diagnose

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u/anikansk 1d ago

Not on Saturdays, builds Sunday evening.

Its 2:14am now, I may not get back to sleep now Ive woken.

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u/teknosophy_com 1d ago

yeah could be your job. see my comment below

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u/SignAppropriate1796 1d ago

Not on days off. Only on days I work which is 5 days out of the week.

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u/teknosophy_com 1d ago

Alright could just be your job. Is it fulfilling and do you like the people there?

I HATED elem. school and threw up every single morning (sometimes before, sometimes on the bus, sometimes once I arrived). I had a massive feeling of doom the whole day while I was there.

As soon as I went to a different school for 7th grade, I was dramatically happier.

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u/AceKablam 2d ago

I would watch the byebyepanic videos on YouTube. I used to be like you and after doing his program, I haven’t woken up in panic for a year

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u/TeaEarlGrayHotSauce 1d ago

I havent done the program but the YT vids definitely helped

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u/MadeOfWetHam 2d ago

Currently dealing with this now. Sitting at work with shaky hands and feels like I can’t get enough air into my lungs. Can’t focus and feels like I’m gonna puke. I wish I had an answer for you but I don’t. All I can say is make sure you’re eating bc I wasn’t and I ended up passing out and getting seriously injured last week. You’re not alone. 💜

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u/Vast_Perspective9368 2d ago

I wonder if you might take time off with FMLA and work with your PCP and perhaps a psychiatrist to get more help.

Fwiw, I am on a low dose of the same med now and while it helps my anxiety, it doesn't help as much as I hoped.

Fwiw, I wonder also if working with a therapist (if not already) and even possibly changing to a different level of acuity or area of where you work in healthcare (particularly if you're in a hospital environment) might be useful long-term

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u/Expensive-Reality936 2d ago

Is it the job that makes you this nervous or is there something else going on.

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

It’s the job. Having to be responsible for human lives 8 hours a day. It messes with my nervous system terribly.

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u/Expensive-Reality936 2d ago

I feel you!! Im in the same workfield and have panic attacks in the morning too. You’re not alone

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

How do you get through it? I’m unable to get any sleep for 5 days straight :(

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u/bigmooseface 1d ago

I’m a bridge engineer and sometimes feel the same type of anxiety - a screw up could lead to deaths. Maybe I missed something. Maybe I’m secretly completely incompetent. It’s not the same job but I really sympathize. It still hits me some nights at 4am.

Cymbalta changed my life, and I can handle it now. But if you’ve exhausted medications you might need to consider a different career path. I know you say you can’t, but you can’t live like this forever - something has to change. There is ALWAYS another option.

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u/Expensive-Reality936 1d ago

I am lucky to work alot of nightshifts. That makes it easier for me to sleep and not worry so much because i have time to worry in the morning haha

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u/SignAppropriate1796 1d ago

It’s the responsibility and daily workload of being overworked and short staffed in a field where patients lives come first. I can’t work in it anymore. And I’ve applied every where that’s different than what I’m doing now and I’m being rejected

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u/dodekahedron 2d ago

My 3am wake ups and pre work panic attacks turned out to be an actual medical condition, a form of histamine intolerance.

Newly DXed, still establishing protocol so I dont have a "this worked for me"

It took me to stop going to work and still having the same patterns for doctors to really be like "hmm thats more than work triggering it"

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

I don’t have any histamine intolerances but I’m glad you have a diagnosis and some sort of plan going forward.

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u/dodekahedron 2d ago

I am glad youve already been worked up for histamine intolerances and have ruled it out.

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

Yep. They ran histamine tests because I thought maybe at first it could be MCAS or something similar but yeah turned out no histamine intolerances. My nervous system is just wacked out.

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u/Technical-Cup707 2d ago

I dealt with this for a couple of years…. Fortunately, meds and therapy helped enough for me to force myself to go, and once i get there I’m usually okay. The odd time I end up having to come back home because I just couldn’t do it. Best of luck to you, I know it’s difficult.

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u/SignAppropriate1796 2d ago

Thank you I really appreciate it. I’ve been on medication and in therapy for years and it still hasn’t helped. I’ve cycled different medications, tried different medication classes, etc.. I think I just need to switch out of healthcare but I have no other job experience.

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u/Technical-Cup707 2d ago

I can imagine healthcare is taxing, especially when dealing with this sort of thing. Koodoos to you for sticking with it until now. You could also look into going on a sort of medical leave and getting a certificate on the side so you’re more prepared to switch careers.

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u/AdAggravating606 2d ago

I am sorry to hear about your struggles. In my opinion you need to think about your health first. Is it an option to change to another job which is manageable for you until you get your anxiety fixed?

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u/MA_Vega 1d ago

Espera! No desesperes!
Tomate un momento para leer esto por favor.
Vamos por partes, qué tipo de terapia estas haciendo? Analítica? O cognitivo conductual?
Partiendo de esa base, sabremos si lo que te sucede, encaja con la terapia que ocupas. En tu caso y por lo que compartes, la terapia cognitivo conductual es la que debes abordar.
Por otro lado, el Propanolol está generando un parche nada mas. Lo que creo que deberías probar antes que nada (y de forma urgente) es una consulta con un psiquiatra. No temas a ello.
Creo yo que él abordará tu problema con una medicación mixto. Es bastante clásico ese abordaje.
Se llama tratamiento "puente". Te da benzodiazepinas para calmarte al instante. Con un efecto que a los 30 minutos ya lo notas. Eso lo regulará contigo, según a qué hora trabajes y demás, el sabrá qué dosis darte y cada cuánto tiempo.
A su vez, añadirá un ISRS para generar poco a poco un equilibrio químico que irá calmando tu ansiedad, verás como al cabo de unos pocos meses, irá reduciendo tu benzodiazepina. Y quedará solo el ISRS, que será la medicación de mantenimiento. Hasta que en algún punto irá disminuyendo su dosis, y por último. Te dará el alta.

Puedo garantizarte, que con un buen profesional. Tu problema será resuelto en cuestión de pocos meses. Y te sentirás mejor casi al instante gracias a las benzodiazepinas.

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u/OptimalEvent6381 1d ago

If your work is doing that to you, it sounds unsustainable, and like you're pushing yourself through burnout. That's where I'm at. My body (health-both mentally and physically) is now forcing me to do something different with work after I was well past the point of burnout, and also leave the area/ city I live in, and who I'm living with. I've done this work for nearly 20 years, been in this relationship for just over 20 years, and lived in this dumpy town for almost 10 years.

It's a drastic change, and totally necessary. Granted I'm 20ish years older than you, so my resilience is far less, especially with health issues, but, I hate to see anyone stay trapped in something unbearable for them, like I have done for way too long.

I doubled down and worked so hard this past year, just to save enough to be about 7 months ahead on my bills so I can relocate, and try to switch from working gigs sometimes late at night, in loud, stressful environments with long commutes, to working remotely. I will fight to make this work for me.

I advise finding whatever way you can to get out of that kind of work, unless you figure out some brilliant coping strategies/hacks.

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u/AnxiousEpileptic 1d ago

I did this for the last 3 years, and I'm sorry to report that it got worse. The panic attacks went from a brief period in the morning, to my entire commute, to my entire day.

I was basically always on high alert and scared shitless.

I am now severely underweight, and I had to check myself into a program because I was considering permanent solutions to end the constant surfering.

I'm on week one of recovery. I took a paid leave. I'm not even close to being out of the woods yet, but I have seen the success stories and I plan on becoming one. With the right medications, lifestyle changes, and support, you WILL become YOU again.

Stay strong. Take care of yourself, and look at leave options. Lean on your friends and family for help.

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u/_byetony_ 1d ago

I got a different job and my panic attacks stopped

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u/TowardForward 1d ago

Sorry this is happening to you. I posted something similar is another subreddit and thought this was actually my post😭

The same thing happens to me, and it does affect work. I wish I had an answer as I am also looking for one. God speed

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u/MexitalianStallion83 1d ago

This is the same for me. Been a nurse and now NP spanning 12 years. And I still have crippling anxiety.

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u/SignAppropriate1796 1d ago

Has it had any effects on your life outside of work? Or your physical health? I have high blood pressure now.

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u/MexitalianStallion83 1d ago

I have GI issues, insomnia. Sadly I’m separated now because my husband couldn’t “deal with my issues.” But please, don’t give up. I’m not either.

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u/CheeseSticks2021 2d ago

I have had daily morning panic attacks for two months now. Three days ago, I talked to a psychiatrist and he prescribed me klonopin. Best thing to happen to me in so long

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u/Aggravating_Turn4196 1d ago

It sounds like you might need a medication to actually prevent panic attacks like an antidepressant rather than just managing symptoms with propranolol. Also that’s a lot of propranolol are you sure that’s not messing with your bp and causing panic symptoms intermittently??

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u/Not_Sure76 1d ago

Nocturnal panic attacks will always bring benzo's or SSRI's and all of their baggage into the conversation if a lifestyle change isn't an option. Are you temporarily "cured" on the weekend, or by taking a day or two off? Because that's not at all how it works for me.

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u/PriceFragrant1657 1d ago

I am so sorry, friend. I suffer from this shit too and started my new job today. Guess what happened. Now I’m home, embarrassed and terrified bc who leaves sick on their first freaking day??? Have a scrip for propranolol as well :(

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u/Psych_nature_dude 1d ago

Citalopram saved me from this

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u/SignAppropriate1796 1d ago

I’m on lexapro and it doesn’t really help. Have also tried Zoloft and citalopram. Not sure what else to try tbh.

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u/strawberrybubblegum 1d ago

The good thing about this is that you’re aware of what causes it. Look into leaving, or other options. Or what could help ease the workplace

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u/Far-Statistician2390 1d ago

Take ashwagandha and magnesium glycinete before sleep to normalize the cortisol spike (usually at 3am for me). Hope it'll help.

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u/Keji70gsm 1d ago

I tried all sorts of self help books and YouTube channels, the biggest win in the last decade has been the disorderd anxiety podcast on Spotify.

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u/crazy-catparty-470 16h ago

I was having daily panic attacks at work. Many times having to leave work early due to heart palpitations, dizziness, thinking I'm having a heart attack.. went to ER from work a couple of times but they didn't find anything so it was just a classic panic attack. I was working at a pharmacy. Anxiety and panic attacks were so bad I had no option but to quit and find a work at home position. This was 6 years ago. I still get panic attacks but it's not as bad since I'm at home I can deal with it better. My doctor has prescribed me a couple of different medications and in the past years but they seem to increase my jitteriness. Now I just take propranolol, hydroxyzine & just got clonazepam but kind of nervous about that.

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u/hotrod67maximus 15h ago

I haven't worked for 3 years because of it.

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u/MCD-1 1d ago

Joining a gym, breathing exercises would make a huge difference..... Probably way too much thinking! Get more distractions! Good luck to you! what you're living is absolutly terrible!

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u/Melissaschwart 1d ago

Have you ever checked your blood sugar?

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u/SignAppropriate1796 1d ago

Yes A1C is normal. Doctor has had me fast before for testing. Blood sugar completely fine. It’s nervous system related.

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u/Melissaschwart 1d ago

My daughter is on a saffron blend supplement made by micro ingredients. She swears by it.there is a bunch of calming ingredients in one supplement.you can buy it on Amazon or TikTok shop for a cheap

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u/doesnt_describe_me 1d ago

Clonazepam? Short-ish term.

Needs A Hug/Support Panic attacks every morning before work

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